Posted
by
samzenpuson Monday December 27, 2010 @02:04PM
from the where's-woody dept.

University of Idaho scientists have figured out a more effective way to track woodpecker populations than following the incessant laughter. They're using a laser onboard NASA's Icesat spacecraft to determine where the birds might be living. From the article: "NASA's Icesat satellite was initially intended for measuring glacial surfaces at the Earth's poles but has proven to be quite effective in measuring vegetation also. The satellite's laser bounces off of forest canopies, tree trunks and the ground making important characteristics about the forest easily measurable. For example, forest density is determined by the relative amount of light returned versus that which is returned from the ground. Once ideal woodpecker locations are identified 'we actually conduct ground-based woodpecker surveys in these locations as well to verify it,' says team-member Patrick Adam."

Technically, even that's putting to much room into a headline.. something akin to "Satellite-based Laser helps to conduct Woodpecker surveys" would be more realistic I think.:-D The satellite does not do any surveying of its own.:)

I Dunno. I think something along the lines of "Orbital laser probes plants for peckers" would have been more technically descriptive, more provocative and therefore more hilarious. C'mon editors, how can you possibly miss an opportunity like this?

I've just been playing Command & Conquer (the Win95 release) again to re-live a waste of time from my youth, and i'm up to the Ion Cannon level. I haven't RTFA (who has time these days?:) but I assume that they are talking about a woodpecker sized Ion Cannon. If you go down to the woods today, be sure you don't look like a woodpecker when viewed from above.

...that puts the final nail in the/. coffin. I usually feel that if someone doesn't like a story, they should just not read it. In this case, the feeling is more like, if this is the best that the editors can do, then there is truly nothing more to discuss. There is no value here, and this story seems emblematic of the increase rate of decrease in quality over the last several years.